Oliver Willis

It’s interesting to me that the cons have reacted to their movement’s inability to move much beyond its base of white, christian, males the way they have. Time and time again when they put up non-whites for government positions, their first reaction isn’t to defend the nominee by his or her merits, rather they seek the nominees race or ethnicity as a cover to use. Right now the talking points on Alito are out, and they tell the con defenders to say that Democratic opposition to him is because he’s Italian and a descendant of immigrants (of course, most of us Americans are the descendants of immigrants, aren’t we?). Opposition to Condoleeza Rice was “because she’s black”, not because she’s the National Security Advisor who ignored the Al Qaeda threat. Opposition to Janice Rogers Brown was “because she’s black” not because her right-wing beliefs are extrajudicial and outside of the mainstream. Opposition to Alberto Gonazales was not because he approved torture and disapproved of the Geneva conventions, but “because he’s Hispanic”.

The cons are only interested in race when it can be used as a cover for the intellectual shortcomings of the Republican party, and not in any sort of substantive way.

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After hearing the news of Alito’s nomination, anti-choice activists are at the Supreme Court, declaring the highest court in the land as their own.

From Reuters:

An anti-abortion demonstrator rallies in front of the Supreme Court after U.S. President George W. Bush nominated Samuel Alito to be Associate Justice in Washington, D.C., October 31, 2005.

We can’t let this stand. And if any Democrats want to stand against a woman’s right to her own health care, they need to speak up so we know who to leave out in the cold.

(and I wonder if instances like this make NARAL think hard about its support for Republican candidates)

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It helps that the Republicans are in fact, corrupt. Yes, the “criminalization of politics” is true because so many Republican politicians are involved in criminal behavior.

A majority of Americans say the indictment of senior White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby signals broader ethical problems in the Bush administration, and nearly half say the overall level of honesty and ethics in the federal government has fallen since President Bush took office, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News survey.

Again: “has fallen since President Bush took office”

So, let’s see, if it’s fallen “since President Bush took office” that would mean that sane people see the previous occupants as more honest and more ethical.

Who was that? Who was that man? Hmmmm.

Oh yeah. Bill Clinton (D).

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I’m glad I get access to TimesSelect because I subscribe to the Sunday Times in print, because if I paid for this sort of swill from David Brooks I’d want a refund. Big time.

So some Democrats were not content with Libby’s indictment, but had to stretch, distort and exaggerate. The tragic thing is that at the exact moment when the Republican Party is staggering under the weight of its own mistakes, the Democratic Party’s loudest voices are in the grip of passions that render them untrustworthy.

Right, because its not like the Vice President set up an operation to use national security information from the CIA in order to fuel a political smear campaign. Right? Just crazy liberal imagination run wild, right. Mmmmkay. Then again, this is just part of Brooks’ pattern.

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As a result of Michelle Malkin, Newsbusters and other brave Right-Wing Defenders of Freedom^TM, America continues to reject the far left writings of noted humorist Al Franken. I mean, c’mon, his book is… #4 on Amazon.

What will Al do? We salute you, brave right wing nutjobs.

The Truth (with jokes)

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In Virginia, yet another poll is showing momentum for Tim Kaine, while the GOP-aligned Jerry Kilgore is suffering. Even the conservative Washington Times can’t deny the obvious: Republican corruption is hurting Jerry Kilgore.

Over the past two months Mr. Kilgore’s lead in the polls over Democrat Tim Kaine has slipped away, as the national Republican Party has faced indictments, investigations, a Supreme Court nominee forced to withdraw and a president bruised over his handling of Hurricane Katrina and his spending plans for rebuilding the Gulf Coast.

Heck, Kilgore is skipping a Bush speech in VA for an NAACP event. He’s running away as fast as he can.

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Bottom line: The White House leaked classified information to the media, while a member of the White House staff lied under oath and obstructed justice. And they’re supposed to be the national security party.

Any minute now Dick Cheney will be telling us how Scooter Libby was “outside the loop”.

Top Cheney aide Libby indicted, quits post

The vice president s chief of staff, I. Lewis  Scooter Libby Jr., was indicted Friday on charges of obstruction of justice, perjury and making false statements in the CIA leak investigation, a politically charged case that casts a harsh light on President Bush s push to war.

Libby, 55, resigned and left the White House.

Democrats:

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said the CIA leak case is about how the White House both  manufactured and manipulated intelligence” to boost its case for the Iraq war.

Reid also said Libby’s indictment shows the Bush administration tried to  discredit anyone who dared to challenge the president.”

Senator John Kerry, meanwhile, is calling the C-I-A leak case  evidence of White House corruption at the very highest levels.” The former presidential candidate says that’s  far from the honor and dignity” Bush pledged to restore when he was elected five years ago.

If you want ethics in government, don’t vote Republican. If you want to trust your government not to leak classified information to journalists for political gain, certainly don’t vote for Republicans.

>> Statements on Assistant to the President and VP Chief of Staff Indicted
>> Unanswered Questions
>> According to right-wing blogs, perjury related to the leaking of national security information is no big deal. Where were these guys 10 years ago when the Republicans thought alleged perjury was a hanging offense?
>> “Remember, I. Lewis Libby doesn’t just work for the Vice President.”
>> Libby replacment also aided leaking of classified data

More: Bush claimed in his statement that Libby “worked hard on behalf of the American people”. Before or after he leaked classified data for political gain, or before or after he lied under oath in a criminal investigation? Somebody should ask.

>> DNC:

“This is a sad day for America.

“Beyond the evidence that the White House manipulated the intelligence used to justify the war in Iraq, a group of senior White House officials not only orchestrated efforts to smear a critic of the war, but worked to cover up this smear campaign. In so doing, they ignored the rule of law, endangering our national security and the brave men and women who dedicate their lives to protecting our nation’s security. I. Lewis Libby was a part of this internal White House group.

“This is not only an abuse of power, it is an un-American abuse of the public trust. As Americans, we must hold ourselves and our leaders to a higher standard. We cannot fear dissent. We cannot fear the truth. And we cannot tolerate those who do.

“More importantly, we can’t ignore the glaring questions this case has raised about the rationale the Bush Administration used to send us to war in Iraq, a war that continues. American soldiers are still in harms way. Over 2,000 brave Americans have lost their lives, thousands of American soldiers have been wounded, and thousands of American families have made the ultimate sacrifice. Still, the President has no plan and no exit strategy. And still he hasn’t answered the question, what are we doing in Iraq and when can our troops come home?

“President Bush faces a serious test of leadership; will he keep his pledge to hold his Administration to high ethical standards and give the American people what they deserve, and will he answer to the American people for these serious missteps?”

>> Republicans Try to Change the Subject
>> Perspective:

Reacting to the suggestion that Rove’s lack of an indictment today is somehow “good news” for the White House, Meacham said that’s the equivalent of saying “I don’t beat my wife anymore.”

>> I gotta say it’s the height of hackery for Glenn Reynolds to look into the whole case and solely take issue with Nicholas Kristof’s opinion columns and not Judith Miller’s administration-penned propaganda missives disguised as “news reporting”.
>> Eli uncovers Bush’s moving target for ethics, or his administration’s lack thereof

>> Hello, HuffPo readers. More bombthrowing here.

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Jay Caruso is offering a bet based on the results of the Skins-Giants game. Should I take it?

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It’s clear with the knifing of Miers that the far right has kicked the butt of the Bush White House. The next nominee will in all likelihood be a hard right ideologue who thinks Roe is a myth and civil rights protections a work of fiction. One analysis on tv said that it would take the senate a month to prep for the next nominee which would push the entire process past the holiday hiatus… and into the election year.

Is 2006 going to be the year where we fight over a far right power grab on the American courts? Does Bush want that? The reason the right has to nominate people like Roberts, Miers, and even Bush himself is because America simply does not embrace the right-wing crazies.

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